Originally published by naming expert Beth Gerber As any good naming specialist will tell you, successful product naming or company naming doesn't begin with the creative process. It begins with the development of a successful naming strategy. And that involves...

As any good naming specialist will tell you, successful product naming or company naming doesn't begin with the creative process. It begins with the development of a successful naming strategy. And that involves asking questions, and lots of them. Here...

Many naming specialists cringe when they hear the words “consumer research.” This negative reaction isn’t because the idea of research is inherently bad. Instead, it’s because naming firms have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes...

Linguistic and cultural appropriateness are important factors when launching a global brand. We all know about the Chevy Nova. Naming a car with a word which means “doesn’t go” in Spanish is probably not the best idea (although we’ll dispel...

Everyone loves an epiphany. Unfortunately, expecting an epiphany from a naming process is usually a bad idea. It’s common to want to fall in love with a single name candidate that communicates all of your desired messages, that is legally...

Don’t be afraid to be BOLD. Distinguish yourself from your competitors; don’t imitate them. You think everyone felt comfortable with the name Virgin? Of course not. But it stood out and had a great story to tell. A name’s edginess...

Everyone thinks they need the exact dot-com URL for their company name. Some are right, but many are mistaken. Online consumer brands may well justify this prime internet real estate, because there’s no question that the average consumer will first...

You’ll always have multiple audiences for your product or company name. At the very least you have your customers and your internal staff (from CEO to Admin Assistant). And at the very most, you may have a diverse and multi-tiered...

You should involve all key stakeholders from the very start of your naming project. Ask yourself, “Who has veto power?” Then include them on the naming project team. Even if it’s the CEO, do your best to include her/him in...

Some people assume that all naming firms are basically the same. And, that evaluating any two naming firms is as simple as comparing one fresh apple to another. While similarities may exist, naming firms are not all created equal. And...